Choose the Right Synonym for imperative

Adjective

masterful, domineering, imperious, peremptory, imperative mean tending to impose one's will on others. masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively.
her masterful personality soon dominated the movement domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will.
children controlled by domineering parents imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance.
an imperious executive used to getting his own way peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent.
given a peremptory dismissal imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate.
an imperative appeal for assistance

Examples of imperative in a Sentence

Adjective

… I have begun to feel each time as if I am mutilating my antennae (which is how Rastafarians, among others, think of hair) and attenuating my power. It seems imperative not to cut my hair anymore.— Alice Walker, Living by the Word, (1981) 1988This strange and distorted form of breathing could be interrupted for a minute or two by a strong effort of will, but would then resume its bizarre and imperative character.— Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, 1973We had a long and interesting evening with the Katzenbachs. He and Lyndon discussed the imperative need to make Washington a law-abiding city and how to go about it.— Lady Bird Johnson27 Jan. 1965,
A White House Diary, 1970
“Eat your spinach!” is an imperative sentence.
“Help” in the sentence “Help me!” is an imperative verb.
a verb in the imperative mood
People resented his imperative tone of voice.

Noun

Ellroy has got to be the only writer who still uses "dig" as an imperative …— Laura Miller, New York Times Book Review, 20 May 2001Indeed, under pressure from a new way of life in which radiant heat from woodburning stoves must circulate unimpeded by dividers, virtually every house with a chimney today has abandoned the closed-door imperative of the high-technology kitchen.— Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987"Maturity" had been a code word … for marriage and settling down; "growth" implied a plurality of legitimate options, if not a positive imperative to keep moving from one insight or experience to the next.— Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Magazine, 20 May 1984
She considers it a moral imperative to help people in need.
“Eat your spinach!” is in the imperative.
“Go” and “buy” are imperatives in the sentence “Please go to the store and buy some milk.”

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imperative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.